Munitions Empire

As the first generation of computers, electronic tube computers were not outstanding in performance, but they were an indispensable step in the development of computer technology.

Although Tang Mo could directly introduce transistor computer technology, he patiently started with the first-generation computers so as to thoroughly indoctrinate his engineers and technical staff in computer technology, progressively immersing these high-end talents into this important field.

Before the birth of this progenitor computer, nobody could have imagined a device capable of assisting in completing 5,000 calculations per second.

Only with great strides in the computer field would technologies like satellites truly begin to flourish. The era of pure mechanical technology had started to pass by, and the era of information technology had stealthily arrived the moment this computer was born.

Unfortunately, apart from Tang Mo's small group of sophisticated technical personnel, people in other parts of the world hadn't even fully grasped steam engine technology.

Perhaps someone could manufacture the piston engines for airplanes or build automobiles, but the vast majority of ordinary citizens were still mostly illiterate.

School education hadn't been popularized, and in some countries reluctant to reform, they still maintained their primitive ways: in the western parts of Qin Country, original orc tribes were even using flintlock guns and muzzle-loading cannons.

Just two or three years ago, newspapers issued in Brunas City, which was then under the occupation of the Laines Empire, were still touting airships that flew from Gobur to the Laines Empire, extensively promoting so-called airship technology.

But now, airship technology had been almost entirely phased out, and the airship production base built by the Shireck Consortium in Gobur had long been abandoned. The production lines that generated hydrogen gas were submerged in weeds, presenting a post-apocalyptic scene.

Most countries were still incessantly building railways to extend this new mode of transportation into every corner of their domains.

Countless factories sprang up, providing job opportunities for the whole region while polluting the clear river water.

Trees-like chimneys continuously rolled out black smoke day and night, and all sorts of odd and fascinating products were shipped out of the factories, delivered to where they were needed far and wide.

People started seeing things in their lives that they had never even dared dream of before; advances in technology greatly enhanced convenience in life and indeed brought happiness and hope to common folks.

Take matches for instance—these were a brand-new, convenient way of igniting fires. Before their invention, people had to rely on fire steel and tinder, which were truly inconvenient and irreplaceable.

But matches were different. Easily ignited by friction, these small items became very popular as soon as they were introduced and were well-received by everyone.

Another quietly revolutionary item that changed people's lives was soap, which significantly improved personal hygiene.

This effectively lowered the frequency of illnesses, and cheap soap also meant a qualitative leap in the morale of the city's citizens.

Don't overlook the significance of such details; when people willingly walked the streets clean and tidy, the subtle impact on their demeanor was profound. This change made cities more like cities and gave commoners a sense of dignity.

The spread of medical technology from the Great Tang Group also impacted the world: the maintenance of these drugs was what made the emergence of mega-cities possible.

When Tang Mo left Brunas, he left behind many pharmaceutical production lines as per his agreement. This made many drug production technologies an open secret.

You see, the Tang Group might have still carried out a series of confidentiality measures, but once the Laines Empire took over Brunas, the idea of secrecy turned into a complete joke.

Shireck was the first to infiltrate and immediately got everything they wanted. Then spies from various countries used their own ingenious methods, and it didn't take long for the technology behind drugs like penicillin to become an open secret.

Actually, the Tang Group had a hand in stirring the pot: since these technologies wouldn't make much money anyway and Tang Country had already started using new technologies to produce more effective drugs, it made sense to disseminate these outdated technologies and turn Brunas's legacy into "negative assets".

This tactic indeed had its effect, and Brunas naturally declined under pressure from many sides.

It was no longer the most dazzling pearl on the coastline of the Eastern Continent; its brilliance had long been eclipsed by the rising star of Linshui on the West Coast.

Nevertheless, Brunas remained an important industrial base, still playing a crucial role in providing countless goods to the Laines Empire.

New and old factories continuously churned out various products to the world, squeezing every last bit of wealth from the common people.

There was no other way, as defeat required reparations. The money spent on the last purchase of aviation technology hadn't been fully repaid, and the interest had increased quite a bit. Now, with the acquisition of various new technologies and equipment, there had to be a source for this money, right?

Of course, the Emperor's money was off-limits, as it was his private property; anyone who thought to touch the Emperor's private treasury surely wished for death.

The money of the Ministers and the Nobility was also untouchable, as this was the foundation of the Emperor's rule over the country. Taking money from this class could cause turmoil and destabilize the nation.

The status of businesspeople had changed; they were the ones who established factories, were in charge of the transportation and transfer of goods, circulated commodities, and generated profits. The influence of this class was growing, and the power behind them was becoming more and more formidable, so it was better not to provoke them lightly.

Aristocratic families, landlords, local strongmen... Counting down the line, it seemed their money was not so easy to use.

After much thought, it seemed the money easiest to plunder was in the hands of the common folk; moreover, they had been plundered for over a thousand years, so it was decided to just brazenly take those few copper coins from them.

Thus, those who invested money to start aviation companies and purchase airplanes with the intent of big profits were none other than the high and mighty Nobility.

Sending personnel to learn technology and preparing to seek development in new fields were the ongoing affairs of the powerful families and wealthy merchants.

Levying land to build airports and accompanying facilities made landlords wealthy and gleeful. With farmland becoming scarcer, there was no option but to cultivate crops with higher added value to make up for losses, which in turn affected the production of food.

Worrying about the food crisis, various countries then enacted laws requiring farmers to only grow food crops and forbidding the unauthorized planting of cash crops, further impacting the farmers' income.

In the end, what the already miserable farmers of various countries didn't know was that Tang Country was suppressing the landlord class and providing substantial subsidies to the farmers.

In other words, the world's nations were now relying on a huge disparity between industrial and agricultural capital to accumulate wealth and speed up development, but due to their greed, failed to subsidize the essential agricultural base.

Such an economic model was fragile and dangerous; once it collapsed, it would damage the very foundation, leaving no room for recovery.

In reality, it wasn't that there were no "wise men" or "capable people" who recognized these issues; many countries had voices calling for change. They sought to reform and strengthen their governments, chasing the ever-accelerating development of the Great Tang Empire.

However, these reforms inevitably touched upon the interests of those with vested interests to varying degrees, hence the immense resistance they encountered.

All countries rolled out their reform plans, but in reality, most of these reforms were superficial changes. They merely skirted around the important issues, patching up within their own frameworks.

A group of experts at treating symptoms rather than the root cause could never fundamentally solve the issues. These nations' changes were all within Tang Mo's expectations.

Tang Mo also enjoyed watching these decrepit empires struggle in the mire, gradually falling further behind his Great Tang Empire, to the point where they could no longer even see his back.

Yet, unexpectedly, a few countries exhibited a different side in this post-war "summary," displaying aspects that surprised Tang Mo.

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One update for today; I owe everyone another update, which will be compensated for tomorrow.